Distributing-gate machine



May 1, v1923.

W. A. WATERMAN DISTRIBUTING GATE MACHINE s Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1921 INVE TOR. W/hm//%fzmim ATTORNEYS.

W. A, WATERMAN DISTRIBUTING GATE MACHINE Fi led Nov. 9. 1921 s Sheets-Sheet 2 v: lllllllllllllill IIIIIIIIIII-IIIIIIIIIIIIU MINI"!!! IN V EN TOR. WWW/77 Whiz/777m BY Wm M 7726:

- A TTORNEYS.

May 1, 1923. 7 1,453,647

W. A. WATERMAN DISTRIBUTING GATE MACHINE Filed Nov, 9. 1921 s Sheets-Sheet 5' ATTORNEYS.

' INVENTOR.

Patented May 1,1923.

WILLIAM AJWATERMAN, or sxn'rna, CALIFORNIA.

nrsrmnurme-se'rn MACHINE.

Application 'filed November 9,1921. Serial at. 513,976.

T all whom it concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. Curse-- MAN, a citizen of'the United States, residing pressing or stamping together tubes and at Exeter, inthe county of Tulare and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in a fDistributing-Gate Machine, of which the following is a specificationm This invention relates-to a machine for frames of sheet metal for'forming distributmg gates used in irrigation work.

.The type of distributing gate upon which this machine is intended to operate, consists of a gate frame having an aperture or port with a fiange upsetat the aperture edge, and a flume engaging tube which is telescoped with the flange. It is the practice to fasten the tubes and frames together by crimping or by soldering, so as to form anon-leak An object of my "invention is to provide asimple, easily manipulated, positively op erating machine which will hold an assembled frame and tube rigidly in position and stamp or press the two elements together.

In addition to'the broader object of my'inings, in which:

Fig. lis a perspective view of a complete machine, a portion being shownbroken away for convenience of illustrat on; F g, '2 is a vertical-section through a fragment'of' a frame and tube in assembled position before beingpperated upon by the machine; Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing a fragment "of a tube and frame after being pressed together; Fig. 4; is aperspective'view of atube and frame 'after being operated upon by the through the machineshowing a tubel'and frame in position ready to be pressed togetliemFig. 6 is a view similar to Fig.5 showing another-position of the parts; Fig.

7 is afragmentarycentral vertical section showingstill another position of' the 'elemerits; 8 is a view similar'to Fig.7,

showing'the'final position of'the elements;

Fig.9 is a fragmentary plan view of tube engaging segments with a tube in position;

Fig. 10 is'a perspective view "of atube engaging segment ;and*Fig. 11 is a view'of the stamping segment. 1'. I

.,.Re ferring more particularly to Fig. 1; a

base for the device is indicated. by :A;

perspective Mounted upon the baseis a table B'support I ing an operating head indicated generally 1 by C. Secured to the operating head so as to be movedv vertically is 'a tube 'eng zaging structure/indicated generally by D. Mounted upon the table Bin alignment with the tube engaging device'D is agate frame sup- .port E which cooperates with the 'tube'en- I gaging device to press the tube andengag. i

frame together.

The operating head comprises standards,

12'ha'ving bearings 13 at the top thereof for a horizontal shaft 1 Fixed to one 'endof shaft 14 'and overhang'ing a bearing 18 is an arni15 'to which is secured a tension spring. "16 tendingto 'hold the'parts of the operating head in their up er position." Secured to the other end of the shaft-14 is ahandle -17. I for-rotating theshaft 14. Fixed to thesh aft a 141' are arms-18 for "pivotal connectionto rods 19. Slidably mounted upon standards 12' lQSs head 2O secured :to each other by a cross piece 21. Thero'ds 19are pivotally mounted upon the cross -piece21. It

is obviousfthatfby pulling the hand "lever 17'- downwar'dly, thearnis-fl18 will be swung f downwardly, forcing rods 19 and'crosspiece 21 into a lower. position. The vcrosspiece21 is guided'upon'the standardsby means" of 1 the cross head sjs'o thatit moves in a straight line. 1

- Aneye' is formed at thecenterfo'f cross piece 21 and extending th'erethr'ough' is a stem 22. At the lower "part ofthe' stem is'a disk 23 reduced in diameter to form a shoul- Depending from cross piece 21are rods 25 'der sothat the disk will extend inside of a,

tubeand abut the top thereof. "Acompression spring 24: holds disk 23 in' its lower po sition and permits 'a yieldin'gfmovement' thereof.

machine;- Fig. 5 is a centralvertical sectio supporting a ringQfi; I Referring more particulariy to Figs. 5,6, 7, 8., and'10, ring 26' is provided with a tapered borewith the' small er diameter at the upp'erside. Mountedin the' bore are tube engaging segments27-"havv outer faces tapering in correspondence Y with the'taper' of the bore. Secured to-each Y Y segment is stem, 28. -Eac'h stem extends through 'a longitudinal slot in the. ring'26 'and is' covered 'by a washer 29. Disposed over each 'St8m,bei7W. 1 1 the washer 29 and at the inner edge, see Figs, 6, 8, and 10.

the head of the stemis a compression spring 30 tending to force the stems outwardly and thereby move the segments into their lower position as shown in Fig. 5. The segments have a rounded swell'31 on their lower face hi their inner face there is an annular recess indicated by 32. p i a Mounted upon the table B is the frame supporting element comprising a cup shaped body 33 having a cylindrical recess best shown in Figs. and 6. Disposed in the recess are segments 34 forming an expansible plug. Each segmentvhas a stem 35 slidably extending through a bore inthe cup 33 and holding the segment in position. The segments 34 are provided with outwardly extending shoulders 36..to cooperate with the recesses 32 in the segments 27. Extending from the shoulders are stamping prongs 37. The segments 34 when assembled form a split plug raving a bore tapered at the upper side to receive a cone shaped wedge 38. The wedge 38 is mounted upon a rod 39 slidably extending through the cup shaped member, the table-B and base Rod 39 is connected by linkage whereby it may be operated from the foot pedal or any other desired device. Upon pulling the rod 3% downwardly, wedge 38 is moved bet-ween segments 34 and the latter are expanded. A depression is formed in the'top of body .33 to cooperate with the swell 31 of the segment 27, 7

In Figs. '3 and 4 the completed gate frame and tube are shown. The frame is indicated by 40 and comprises a fiat piece of sheet metal having an opening at the center thereof bounded by a flange portion 41. Before being operated upon by the machine the tube 42 is slipped over the flange as shown in Fig. 2. The tube is made of sheet metal with a seam 43. After "being operated upon by the machine the metal adjacent the aperture has been offset slightly as indicated by 44 in Fig. 3 to form an annular projection at the opening. The prongs 37 on the segments 34 have pressed into the-flange 41 stamping and pressing the tube together as indicated at 45.

The frame 40 and tube 42 are assembled in the condition shown'in Fig. 2. In this position they are placed upon the frame supporting element E. see Fig, 1 with the segments 34 inside of the tube as shown in Figs. 5' and 7. pulled downwardly, moving the tube engaging device E over the tube and into the position shown in Fig. 5. As the tube engaging' device is pressed into its lower position. segments 27 engage the frame 40 and are forced upwardlyto firmly grasp the tube. Disk 23 is moved downwardly engaging the upper end of the tube, and holdingthe latter firmly-inpositio'n, the parts then being in The handlev .17 is grasped and the position shown in Fig. 6. Forcing the lever 17 downwardly stamps the tube and if gate into the shape shown in Fig. 7 the parts being 111 the position shown in Fig. 7.

The next operation consists in pulling downwardly upon rod 39, forcing wedge 38 to expand segments and forcing the prongs 3'? against the flange, thereby stamping the parts together. Springs 16 return the tube engaging device E to its upper position, and

red 39 is released from the pressure so that the tube and frame may be released from the machine.

' It is obvious that whereas I have shown the device as operated manually it may be embodied in an automaticallyoperated machine.

lVhat I claim is: p I l. A machine of the class described comprising a base having an expansible plug 55 provided with prongs to upset a flange and tube from the interior means to expand said plug, an expansible ring for engaging the exteriorof a tube, and means to move said ring downwardly over said plug into 99 said base to contract said plug provided with prongs to upset a flange and tube from the interior, means to expand said plug, an expansible ringfor en gagement with the exterior of atube, means to move said ring downwardly over said plug into engagement with said base tojcon- 1 tact said ring, and a centering disk'movable with said ring to engage the upper end of the tube. J

3. A machine of the'character describedcomprising a base having'an expansible plug formed of segments provided with prongs and having a tapered bore, a wedge for, said here movable thereinto to expand said segments, an expansible ring for engaging the interior of the tube,.means to movesaid ring U0 downwardly over said plug-into engagement with said base and tocontract said rln 4? A machine of the character described comprlsmg a base having an expansi-ble plug provided with prongs to upset a flange and tube from the interior, means to expand said plug, a ringhavlng-a tapered bore, segments having tapered outer faces mounted in said bore, means tending to expand sald-segments and project the'latter below the lower face of said ring whereby pressure uponthe' segments bysaid base will contract said ring.

5. A machine of the character described o a I n1" compr1s1ng a base havmg an expansibleplug formed of segments provided with prongs and having a tapered bore, a wedge for said bore to expand said segments, an expans'ible ring for engaging the exterior of thetube;

I I 1 meansto move said ring downwardly-over said plug into engagement with said base to contract said ring, and a centering disk movable with said ring to engage the upper end or the tube.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a base having an'expansible plug provided with prongs to upset a flange and face of said ring, means tomove said ring downwardly over said plug into engagement Wth said gate to contract said ring, and a centering disk movable with said ring to engage the upper end of the tube.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a base having an expansible plug formed of segments provided with prongs and having a taperedbore, a wedge in said bore movable to expand said segments, a ring having a tapered bore, segmentshaving tapered outer faces disposed in said bore, means tending to expand said segmentsand project the latter below thelower face of said ring whereby pressure by thesegments wments, means to movesaid ring downwardly over said plug into engagement with said base to upon said base will contract said se contract said ring.

,8. A'mach1ne of the characterdescr bed comprising a base having an expansibleplug formedlof segments provided with pron and having a tapered bore, a wedge in said bore movable to expand said segments, a ring having a tapered bore segments having tapered outer faces disposed in, said bore,

means tending to expand said segments and said ring whereby pressure by the segments project the latter below the loweriface of 40 upon said base will contract said segments, means to move said rings downwardly over said plug into engagement with said, base a to contract said ring, and a centering disk movable with said ring to engage the upper edge of the tube.

In witnessthat I vclaim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my. name this 3rd day of November, 1921.

WILLIAM A, WATER N. 

